Fair Trade
by HarborRat
Summary: Cai Wengi loves Zhang Liao but must extinguish an old flame before she can be with him.
1. Another One Bites the Dust

This story centers around Cai Wengi of Kessen 2 however it is a blend of characterisations from Dynasty Warriors, Romance of Three Kingdoms (novel and game) and Kessen II.

* * *

_Fair Trade_

Chapter 1

**Another One Bites The Dust**

* * *

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Cai Yong looked at the pasty Cao Gun's body in the bed. He nervously tugged on the sleeves of his robe and looked to his daughter. What was this? Husband number four? 

"No, he just…died." Cai Wengi sighed. This didn't look good for her. So far she had been very unlucky with marriage, but this had to be the most influential husband yet. Now he was dead as well. Her initial instinct had been to run to Zhang Liao but it would only make her look guilty. She resisted and went to her father for help, trying to keep her lover out of this. She looked up as her father-in-law burst into the room; he looked agitated and she knew that someone had woken him up.

"You woke me for this?" Cao Cao hissed and looked back at the trembling scribe.

"I asked him to, my lord." Cai Yong stepped forward and bowed. He heard the scamper of his assistant as the young lad ran away.

Cao Cao stepped up to the bed and looked at his son. He frowned distastefully. At least the idiot could have died with his mouth closed. "He's dead, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, being that he's your son…" Cai Yong hesitated.

"Dead son." Cao Cao shrugged and looked over at Cai Wengi. He scratched his chin. He might not be fully awake, but a genius's mind was always sharp and he had already found a way to capitalize on this tragedy. "My dear, allow me to console you while your father removes your late husband's body from your room."

Wengi wrapped her arm around her lord's and left the room with him. She felt like she owed him an explanation. "He died in his sleep…"

"Well Cao Jin was always a weakling." Cao Cao shrugged.

"He was Cao Gun." Wengi corrected him.

"Whatever." Cao Cao led her over to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. "I know of your relationship with my general, Lady Cai."

Wengi bit her lip and grabbed his hand. "My lord, Liao is innocent. I…seduced him."

Cao Cao started to laugh and then cleared his throat as he noticed several servants giving him that startled, disgusted look. "My dear, Zhang Liao is anything but innocent and if Diao Chan couldn't seduce him…no one can. I appreciate the attempt to spare him however, that was not my point. I really couldn't care less about how Cao Jie died; the fact of the matter is that you are available again."

She thought better of correcting him again and looked up at his devious grin. "My lord?"

"You used to be engaged to Ma Chao, I do believe he was to be husband number one before I killed his father. Correct?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Deliver him to me and I will arrange for you and Liao to be married." He smiled.

Wengi gulped. Could she do that? Sure she had walked away from Chao when revenge took him over, but….

"Zhang Liao loves you. I'm not going to let a friend and my best general marry a woman who still harbors some love for a man who is my sworn enemy. I've read your poetry, my dear, and it is very clear what you still feel." Cao Cao stroked his goatee.

"You want Ma Chao dead; you don't want to protect Liao…." She fired back.

"I want both. It's just convenient that these two overlap. Ma Chao for Zhang Liao, a fair trade." Cao Cao rubbed her arm compassionately. "Think that over while you grieve for Cao Gan."

* * *

Cai Yong panted and dabbed the sweat from his brow as he and his young apprentice tried in vain to roll the body of Cao Gen from the bed. "Try to roll him that way; I'm sure he'll bruise if he hits the ground." 

"Let's get one of the strong generals to help, sir?" The apprentice plead.

Cai Wengi stepped back into the room. "Father…"

The elder Cai used the opportunity to get out of of his laborious task. "You shouldn't be in here, not now."

Wengi noticed the exasperated look on the apprentice's face as her father escorted her out the door. "What have you heard of Ma Chao recently?"

"My dear, you can't be thinking on the past. He is our enemy now. I'm sure Lord Cao will find a more….resilient husband for next time."

"Has he changed?" She ignored her father's redirection.

"Last I heard he was still consumed by his anger, a fact that was amplified by his recent loss of his wife and family. They were…chopped up and tossed over the gate at him." Yong grabbed her arm. "Why do you ask?"

"I think it best if I go home and grieve, get away from the turmoil here. I just was curious if he was there."

"Home." Yong nodded. "Yes, I think that might be a worthwhile journey. I can gather intelligence for our lord, to soothe over any ill will caused by his son's passing."

Wengi watched him go back to the room to try and dispose of the body. She looked around the quiet courtyard and wondered if she was capable of betraying a man she once loved. Perhaps part of her still loved him, even though she knew that man died with his father. Even as she contemplated her own will to carry out her mission, she felt bad for him. She began to cry out of frustration. The decision wasn't easy and she wanted to tell someone. More than anything she wanted to run to Liao and cry into his strong shoulder and have his scent envelop her and ease away her pain.

* * *

The funeral was very brief and Wengi did her best to compose a solemn poem to recite as a elegy. Cao Cao seemed pleased and seemed eager to talk with her. She wondered if he was simply anxious to know of her decision or simply trying to escape his son's mother. 

"Needy little bitch." Cao Cao mumbled under his breath as he broke free of the woman who was trying to use her dead son to get closer to the man who fathered him. He pushed past several insignificant officers and to the young widow's side. He would occupy these fools and give her a chance to run to Zhang Liao later. "Have you made a decision?"

"I will be going home to grieve." She said simply. She noticed his eyes dance with amusement.

"I do recall that you used to be quite a spitfire, your sorcery earned you quite the reputation with the Qiang." He straightened the crown upon his head and smiled.

"Until I was captured by barbarians and forced to endure hell as a concubine." She looked away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to conjure up bad memories." Cao Cao said solemnly. "However I know you were quite talented."

"Talent to got me in that position." She crossed her arms indignantly. "Must we dwell on this?"

"I'll keep these fools occupied. Go say goodbye to Liao." He paused as she looked at him curiously. "I hope you appreciate this."

* * *

She rested peacefully cradled in his arms. "I have to go or I'll cause trouble for you." 

Zhang Liao ran his hands through her hair as she stroked his beard. "That argument is not winning me over."

"Liao, I don't think I'm worthy of you yet."

"Nonsense."

"No. I can't let go of my past." She closed her eyes. He didn't know about Chao and she herself wasn't too sure what seeing him again would do to her. Liao only knew what torture she had endured while being a captive, he wanted to protect her and make her feel safe. "I used to be a good fighter. I used to do more than wield a pen."

Liao stayed silent. He knew he had to let her go back and face her demons, his protection would only allow her to hide. He wanted her to stay, and it was selfish, but he had an uneasy feeling. She was a very unlucky woman. "How long will you stay?"

"Father wants to inspect the city, so it will be at least four or five months." She nuzzled into his neck. "I'll be fine."

"When you come home, I want to ask Cao Cao for permission to marry you."

"He knows I'm not worthy enough of you." She sighed. She had to prove her loyalty and devotion first. She hated keeping the secret, especially from him, but he'd never allow her to leave otherwise.

"Stop." Liao kissed her forehead. "I thought you were supposed to let go of your past."

"We'll see if I can't find the strength I had when I was young."


	2. Home Sweet Home

* * *

_Fair Trade _

Chapter 2

**Home Sweet Home**

* * *

The carriage ride west made her long for the days when she would ride Mongolian ponies on the plain bareback. Why did it seem like that was a lifetime ago? She sighed and placed her head against the carriage wall.

"It won't be much longer." Cai Yong patted his daughter's hand and tried to hide his nervousness.

"Worried?"

"Of course. Ma Chao isn't the man you used to know. He's impetuous and bloodthirsty."

"Sounds just like the man I used to know." She replied and thought about a young man covered in blood riding a previously white mare. She had been with him on many raids to repel the barbarians and she knew how much he loved a good fight. She had learned how to appreciate it as well. Odd how they were now on the opposite ends of the spectrum. He was driven by rage, living for battle. She was hardly able to muster anger, knowing life would toy with her and she couldn't do a damned thing about it.

"He must know you were married to Cao Cao's son." Cai Yong suddenly thought about that. His hands began to shake more.

"Half the country is married to one of Cao Cao's offspring or has been in bed with one of them. I doubt he'll be so irrational."

"Once I gather the information we need, we can return home."

"We're going home…remember?" Wengi asked and then opted to drown out everything he continued to say. Home. Why did that word seem so foreign?

* * *

"It's like sending a lamb into a wolves den." Zhang Liao protested. "How can you send them without some sort of support? We have an entire brigade of specialist bodyguards trained to protect and support spies…"

"Liao." Cao Cao waved his hand in dismissal. "How obvious would that be? Why would a man who has nothing to fear employ a bodyguard unless he was guilty of something?"

"I'd love to see you counter that argument." Xiahou Dun scratched his beard and moved his rook across the chess board.

"Dammit I love her and I am not going to just accept that you're gambling on Ma Chao's rationalization to bring her home intact." Liao growled. He didn't care if he had just admitted his feelings in front of the two generals; he was having a hell of a time keeping his temper in check. This wasn't a simple assignment to him and he hated that Cao Cao was always appeared so aloof when discussing political and military decisions.

"She used to be engaged to Ma Chao." Cao Cao's simple statement was followed by his hand grabbing two of Dun's pawns from the board. His cousin ground his teeth in reply.

"What?" Liao's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. If that was true she would have said something. The Wei King was a friend, but that didn't grant Liao any access to information until the man was willing to tell him.

"The fact that you didn't know makes me all the more secure in my decision to send her out there." Cao Cao leaned back in his chair and smiled as Dun began to contemplate his next move.

"Screwing the emperor's daughter-in-law…damn Liao. I thought you were above that sort of thing." Dun looked up at Liao's irritated face. "Then again you did bang Lu Bu's daughter too."

"Stop trying to piss me off. You're just going to have to lose your damned chess match." Liao hissed knowing the Wei general was trying to get out of the minor humiliation of having Cao Cao beat him at the game.

"Valiant effort however." Cao Cao grinned deviously. A win was a win, no matter what the game was. "Liao, I will test her loyalty. Then we will determine if she is worthy of you."

"She was worthy of your damned kid." Dun snorted.

"Cao Ji wasn't a valuable asset or a close friend. Apparently he was also impotent. Worthless brat."

"If you say so." Dun reached out to move his queen but saw Cao Cao smile. He retracted his hand and went back to thought. "How many people has she married already?"

"Stop it." Liao snapped. "I'll just beat on you after the match is over if you keep this up."

"Be patient Liao." Cao Cao said with a kind smile.

"What? You're fathering him?" Dun said with a hearty laugh. "Your son dies and you can't remember his name and now you're deciding to adopt Liao?"

Cao Cao kicked Dun sharply in the shin. "Cao Ju was hardly worth feeding."

Dun rubbed his shin and recalled the reason why he always wore full battle dress when playing chess. He readjusted his robes and snorted, "Why are you so suspicious?"

"I think we've only seen a smidge of Cai Wengi's talent." Cao Cao caught Liao's agitated glare. "You'll thank me. I know you better than you think. Do you really want a wife that stays home and writes poetry?"

"Watch out, he's trying to marry you to Cao Zhi." Dun hovered his hand over his last remaining knight and saw Cao Cao smirk again. Annoyed, he retracted his hand.

"Yes." Liao growled.

"Then you would have taken Diao Chan when she had her hands in your pants." Cao Cao shook his head. "She's a sorceress, a powerful one at that, and I'm not going to let that skill go to waste just because she had a lousy time in Mongolia."

"So Ma Chao the Splendid is going to make that happen?" Zhang Liao said with a touch of distain.

"Perhaps." Cao Cao yawned. "Dun just make a move I win no matter what you do."

"Shut up." Xiahou Dun spat and then reluctantly moved his queen.

* * *

"Not much has changed." Cai Yong stepped from the carriage and held his hand up to his daughter.

"Except the banner above the main gate." Wengi said somberly. How many times had this town changed hands?

"We should meet the prefect, well I will. Perhaps you would like to visit the market?"

"Yes." Wengi nodded. The market was where she would certainly learn something. What did the people here think? How did they feel about being the front lines in a war between the Ma Clan and Wei?

"Good, I will meet you back here then. Don't get into too much trouble." Cai Yong said jokingly.

"Too late." She said quietly as she saw a man on a white horse in silver armor. For the first time in a long time she felt the urge to roll a fireball. For some reason seeing him made her angry. Why shouldn't it? He had chosen revenge over her and he was the reason she was now here instead of with Liao. She brushed past a group of hapless fangirls and stood in the road.

Ma Chao brought his horse to a stop; it wasn't the first time a girl thought she could get his attention this way. Women were just so damned foolish. "Ma'am, if you would please step aside…"

"You've let this all go to your head Mengqi." She snorted in disgusted. "If you want me out of the way, you'll have to move me out of the way."

"Wengi?" He blinked in confusion and stared down into her unmistakable brown eyes, smoldering with anger.

It seemed so close now. The spells to conjure lightning were on the tip of her tongue. "You idiot. What the hell are you doing here? Do you think that just because of your reputation that you won't be the target for an attack?"

Any uncertainty that this was indeed Cai Wengi vanished. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You haven't either." She said coldly.

"You should be thankful." He said quietly. "If we did marry, you'd probably be dead."

She couldn't stay angry at his pleading eyes lost in the still youthful but weary face. "Sorry. I heard."

"I heard you were married again…" He didn't recall what the man's name was. It definitely was a Cao though.

"He's dead." She watched his eyebrow rise. "Natural causes."

"I think your record is almost as bad as mine." He played with his horse's mane. "What brings you home?"

"I needed to get away from Xu Chang…people were looking at me like I was the walking plague." Wengi replied.

"Are you staying long?" He asked. It would be nice to visit with an old friend. He had fewer friends than he used to.

"A few months." She then added. "Whatever the obligatory mourning period is."

"Oh." Ma Chao suddenly remembered she was still a vassal of Cao Cao. "Right…there is always another Cao that needs a wife."

"You do know how to comfort people don't you?" She shook her head and stepped back into the crowd.

"Wait." He followed after her, his horse snorting at the fangirls that pressed up against her sides. "Will you join me tonight for dinner? I'm sure Dai and Yun Lu would love to see you too."

She looked up at him as his horse caught up to her. She stroked the mare's face and cheekbones. "You're dragging your baby sister off to war as well?"

"I can't exactly leave her home. She breaks a lot of stuff." Chao grinned. "You might be surprised; she's turned out to be quite the warrior."

"So much for the magic I taught her."

"I wouldn't say that." Chao chuckled. "So will you join us?"

"Sure. I'm sure my father will be happy to see you as well."

"Doubtful." He shook his head and noticed the older Cai standing respectfully back at the carriage.

"Then I'll leave him at home. It will be just us kids." She hoped it could be that easy.

"I'd like that." Chao smiled warmly and then let it fade from his face as he turned back into the crowd to rejoin his men.

Wengi watched him ride off. She hated that she could still have feelings for him, but brief moments like these could always make her heart flutter. She shook her head and went to join her father. They had both chosen their separate paths. No, Chao had chosen his path and it didn't include her. She had a wonderful man back in Xu Chang waiting on her and he deserved her unwavering loyalty. She loved him, so why did a childhood sweetheart make her wonder what could have been? "One damned conversation and I can't keep it together. I do need to conjure something destructive…"


	3. Let the Games Begin

* * *

_Fair Trade _

Chapter 3

**Let the Games Begin**

* * *

"Yun Lu?" Wengi was startled when she laid her eyes upon a very imposing lady warrior. The teenager was well muscled, ample-chested and very proud of her heritage. She looked like she had taken her elder brother's old clothes and modified them.

"Wengi?!" The youngest Ma squealed and ran over to hug the woman she hadn't seen in years. "You're home!!"

Ma Dai looked up skeptically. "Uh, last I checked you were still Mrs. Cao."

"He's dead." Chao grumbled and smacked his cousin. "Be a bit more respectful."

"Who needs to remember manners around friends?" Ma Dai sighed. "Still, you took your time coming to visit. You'd think that you could have come out to visit sometime before now if you gave a damn."

"Shut up Dai." Yun Lu ignored his mumbling. "So what have you been doing? Have you learned any new spells?"

"I haven't used magic is a long time." Wengi smiled. "You must be driving your brother insane; I can't imagine the men of XiLiang are leaving you alone."

"Tell me about it." Chao tossed his helmet onto a table. "I wish that every man in XiLiang was all I had to deal with. Every officer in Shu is demanding I prove my loyalty by marrying my sister to them."

Yun Lu rolled her eyes. "Like any of those _boys_ could be man enough to be my husband."

Ma Dai looked up at Wengi. "Must be nice to be picky about husbands, huh?"

"I married a man." Wengi reminded him. "He was nothing more than a magistrate, no matter who his father may have been."

"You used to be more than my cousin could handle, and that's saying a lot." Dai shook his head. "I have a hard time believing you just allowed yourself to be married off to all those men."

"All?" Wengi snorted. "I gave up magic. I put down my sword. I could find no outlet to my anger except for poetry, and during my captivity I learned to channel everything through that. Let me be a pawn, I can tolerate the occasional inconveniences."

"Dai, relax." Chao poured himself some wine.

"So Cao Cao moves his pawn here…perhaps to lure out our King?" Dai mused.

"He doesn't even know his late son's name; I doubt he cares all that much about me. I requested a mourning period. I want to be nobody for a bit."

"Good luck with that." Dai took the wine Chao offered him. "You're still known around here as Chao's old flame. The damned Qiang still have their ass hairs singed from when you hit that village with a fireball. I still see you as a vassal of Wei."

"And?" Ma Yun Lu asked. "It still took balls to come out here and visit. Something even that infallible and courageous Zhao Yun you all adore so much can't manage."

"Lu Lu…not this again." Chao rubbed his temples.

"Just because he's your best friend doesn't mean he's entitled to my body. So do your buddy a favor and find him a woman he can actually handle." Yun Lu crossed her arms.

"I think when you see him in battle you'll change your mind." Chao waved off her protests. "However I'm sick of discussing it with you."

Wengi sat down next to Dai and raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't like Zhao Yun?"

"No, she called him an overrated gay babysitter to his face." Dai smiled at her. "Are you interested in the Shu hero?"

"Hardly." She said and rolled her eyes.

"There's someone else already?" Dai elbowed her in the ribs as Yun Lu and Chao continued to argue about any potential marriage arrangements.

"No." She said it quickly and she knew Dai caught onto it.

"Mengqi has already had his heart broken enough, don't put him through that again." Dai looked her in the eyes. "I want to believe you're here to stay. I want to hear you say you're going to join us. I know better. You're both so alike, letting a damned grudge destroy any chance at happiness you can have."

"He gave up on me, Dai." She hissed. This had been a bone of contention between them since the day she walked away from Ma Chao. "He chose to give into anger and make that his obsession."

"Look at him now. You think he can't be convinced otherwise?" Dai asked quietly.

She looked at the powerful lord of Xiliang as he argued with his sister over the value of ever officer in the Shu army. He smiled as she threw a fit about how disgusting Huang Zhong was. He aggravated her further by restating a few lewd comments the old man had made about her. Wengi saw a burdened man, a man who was left alone to protect that little was left of his father's.

"You're the only one who could help him." Dai admitted. "If you would just fight him and make him realize it…don't walk away again and leave him to his anger like you did last time."

"He's a grown man. He can make his own decisions." She spat.

"He's a hollow shell and you're not going to be able to hide forever." Dai whispered. "It's not too late."

"It's way too late." She glared at him.

"Wengi? Perhaps you know of some available generals in Wei? My sister seems to find facial hair important and it seems like your officers don't receive razors in their standard issue." Chao bellowed as his sister stomped in frustration.

"Shut up Chao!"

"Well you seem determined to ruin everything I have going for you and XiLiang, so why not just marry the enemy? Get it over with in one blow." Chao sat back in his chair and scratched his head. "You don't like how slim Jiang Wei is, so Xiahou Dun is out. Huang Zhong is old and ugly plus he is an archer…I guess Xiahou Yuan is out. You don't like Caos so Cao Cao, Cao Ren and Cao Pi are out. Zhao Yun is too quiet and clean shaven that rules out Xu Huang."

"You like Zhao Yun so much, you marry him!" Yun Lu screamed.

"Wengi, help me! You know these scruffy men better than me." Chao smiled and finally slapped the table. "Zhang Liao! He's single, has a beard and is pretty aggressive."

Wengi bit her lip. Liao. He had been all she ever thought about but as soon as she was away from him she lost focus. She looked at Ma Yun Lu and wondered what he would think of her. Certainly such a fierce and talented warrior wanted a woman like her. Beautiful, young and strong she was a little spitfire and seemed a better match than a used up widow.

"He's worthy of you then?" Dai asked, seeing the look on her face. He continued as his cousins began to argue louder. "Zhang Liao is worth coming out here for?"

"Yes." She sneered at the younger Ma general. Dai could read people so well; she knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he discovered some weakness.

"He loves you as you are now? A woman beaten down by the misfortunes of life? He'll protect you and allow you to wallow in your fear and self-pity?"

She glared at him; she hated how accurate his assessments could be. "I am here to revive what I used to be, to give him everything I can."

"Well." Dai played with his wine glass. "I suppose I have a battle ahead of me. I think you're the only one who can save my cousin from himself and he save you from a common existence. So looks like the mighty Zhang Liao is going to have to suffer a defeat on his one."

"Over my dead body." Wengi and Yun Lu echoed each other as they fumed, determined to have more control over their lives than the men were willing to give them.

* * *

"You and Dai were pretty engrossed in conversation." Chao leaned against the edge of the railing overlooking the serene garden. "I know you two were always butting heads, but it's pretty accomplished to pick up where you left off after so many years."

"He is a stubborn ass." Wengi looked away, noticing his tunic was open and his chest was exposed.

"I know, but he's all I have." Chao shrugged. "Which only encourages him."

"Yun Lu is a beautiful woman, you must be proud."

"She's a stubborn ass." Chao grinned. "She scares half the men she meets."

"She's sixteen. She's still so young." Wengi defended the girl.

"When you were sixteen…well…" He raised an eyebrow remembering some of the things they never should have done.

"You were a bad influence." She blushed.

"When did you turn into such a girl?" He asked. She was never that far from what Yun Lu was now. He could have never imagined the Cai Wengi he knew being a demure lady of the court.

"Life has a tendency to make what it wants out of you." She sighed and looked up at the moon. "I better be going home before my father worries.

"Or before you get too comfortable?" He said.

"Maybe." She admitted and stepped back as he reached out to touch her.

Chao nodded and wanted to kick himself for taking advantage of how close she was. "Sorry."

"You still want him dead more than you want to live." Wengi stated simply. "Until you change that, I don't think it's fair to make any woman your wife."

"Cao Cao seems to do a damned good job of alleviating my poor wives of their misery." Chao snapped and clenched his fists. "Good night."


End file.
